noun
quatrain
KWOT-rayn
Quatrain (noun) means a short poem or a stanza made up of four lines. Example: “The poet closed the sonnet with a final quatrain.”
noun
1
literary A short poem or a stanza made up of four lines.
"The poet closed the sonnet with a final quatrain."
"Each verse of the ballad was written as a rhyming quatrain."
"She jotted a quatrain in her notebook before breakfast."
How to use quatrain
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA quatrain is simply a stretch of verse that runs to exactly four lines.
When to use it
Quatrain is a literary term mostly used when discussing or analysing poetry.
Memory tip
Count the lines: if a stanza or short poem has exactly four, it is a quatrain.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
rhyming quatrain
opening quatrain
final quatrain
quatrain form
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The poet closed the sonnet with a final _____.
Etymology
Quatrain was borrowed from French quatrain, which names the same four-line verse form.
Synonyms
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tetrastich
Rhymes for quatrain
See all rhymes for quatrain →Frequently asked questions
What is a quatrain in poetry?
A quatrain is a stanza or a complete short poem made up of four lines.
Is a quatrain always rhymed?
Not necessarily; a quatrain is defined by its four lines rather than by any single rhyme pattern.
What is another word for quatrain?
Tetrastich is used as a synonym for a four-line stanza.
What is the meaning of quatrain?
"quatrain" (noun) means a short poem or a stanza made up of four lines.
